Safety belt buckle



April 13, 1965 S. J. WISNIEWSKI SAFETY BELT BUCKLE Filed April 22, 1965 INVENTOR ATTORNEY sex I g 3,177,547 SAFETY BELT BUCKLE Stanley J. Wisniewslri, Chicago, Ill., assignor of twentyfive percent to Walter Wisniewski and Jeanette Wisniewski, Chicago, Ill.

Filed Apr. 22, 1963, Ser. No. 274,487 6 Claims. (Cl. 24-230) This invention relates to belt buckles and more particularly to a novel and improved safety belt buckle.

Although there are very many different types of belt buckles in use today, I have found that there is no buckle which is simple in operation, effective in use and which is inexpensive to manufacture so as to be available to the public at a relatively low price. Most of the belt buckles which feature a quick-release utilize an overcenter cam structure which presses a belt inserted therebeneath against the body portion of the buckle. The locking action is not positive and the belt is continuously subjected to abrasion and wear.

It is a general object of my invention to provide a novel belt buckle which is of rugged and durable construction in which the operating parts are mutually shielding to prevent their destruction or malfunctioning.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel belt buckle which incorporates an ingenious locking mechanism for a metal tongue on the free end of the associated belt.

The invention comprehends the provision of a belt buckle which comprises a body portion secured to one end of a belt, and which receives a tongue which may beat the other end of the belt, the body portion of the buckle providing a tongue way which admits one end of the tongue therein, the body portion also mounting locking means which cooperates with complementary locking means on the tongue and wherein the parts function to releasably lock with each other and wedge into releasable locked position.

More specifically the invention provides a buckle hav ing a spring-loaded abutment against which the end of the tongue bears, the tongue having an end portion of novel form which comprises a transverse aperture admitting a spring-loaded latch therein and reacting against the latch to engage the same with portions of the buckle to hold the parts in tight engagement with each other.

Another object is to provide a novel buckle with a spring-loaded self-ejecting tongue such that upon depressing the buckle latch, the tongue is forcibly ejected from thebuckle to release it.

' These and other objects and advantages inherent in and encompassed by the invention will become more readily apparent from the specifications and the drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the novel buckle and Description of the invention Describing the invention in detail and having particular reference to the drawings, there is shown a belt buckle United States Patent 2 which has a base portion 3 and a holder or latching portion 4, the buckle cooperating with a tongue 5.

The base portion 3 comprises a bottom wall 6 which is flanked by integral upstanding flanges 7, 7, which together with the base form an enclosure for a spring loaded ejector-abutment assembly 8.

The abutment assembly comprises a transverse guiding and seating bar 9 which may be integral with the bottom wall 6 of the base portion and has its ends integrated with the flanges 7,7. The bar 9 is provided with a central aperture 10 which admits a guide and mounting rod 12 which extends through a compression spring 14. The spring 14 which is a resilient element, reacts at one end against the forward side 15 of the reaction bar or member 9 and at the other end against the back side 15, of an abutment block 16. The block 16 is preferably of rectangular shape and has its back side 15 connected centrally thereof to the rod 12. The side or lateral edges 19 of the block are guided between the interior sides 20 of the flanges 7 and the block is movable reciprocally lengthwise along its lower edge 22 on the bottom wall 6 toward and away from the free or front portion 23 of the buckle body portion 3.

The front end portion 23 provides a forwardly open tongue-receiving slot or way 25 which admits the free end portion 26 of the tongue which is angled upwardly from the base wall 6 and has a diagonal forward marginal edge 27 engaging the forward vertical face 28 of the abutment block 16. The tongue end portion 26 has a top side 30 which engages the underside 31 of the rear locking ledge 32 which spans the space between the upstanding flanges 7, 7 and is connected thereto along their upper edges 33 at the forward end portion of the buckle behind the locking hook or catch 34 of the holder or latch 4.

The catch 34 extends through a slot or aperture 35 formed between ledge 32 and the coplanar ledge 36 which is also formed integral with flanges 7 adjacent to the upper edges 33 thereof.

The catch 34 has a lower end portion 37 which is angled inwardly from the front end of the buckle and in the locked position projects through the eye or opening or slot 38 in the forward end portion 26 of the tongue. The lower end portion 37 has a lower edge 40 which engages the top side 41 of the bottom wall 6 of the base.

The block 16 urges the tongue outwardly and engages the convex forward side 43 of the hook 34 with the rear edge of the crest 44 of the forward ledge 36. The engagement occurs below the crest of curvature shown at 44' so that upon engagement of the forward margin 45 of the slot 38 in the tongue with the curved back edge 46 of the catch 34, which slopes upwardly and outwardly, the hook is caused to wedge downwardly against the tongue as well as the outer ledge 32, against its back edge 44.

The latch is accommodated pivotal movement as well as limited longitudinal movement through a lost motion connection generally designated 48 which comprises a. pintle 50 secured in coaxial apertures 51 in the flanges '7, the pintle passing through coaxial longitudinally elongated slots 52 in the side flanges 53, 53 of the latch, said flanges 53 overlapping the flange 7, 7 and disposed generally parallel thereto outwardly thereof. The lower edges 54, of the flanges 53 are sloped at 55 and merge into the lateral margins 56 of the catch adjacent to its upper or outer end 57. The flanges 53 also merge along their outer or upper edges with the top or outer wall 58 of the latch, said wall 58 merging at its forward end 59 with the outer end 57 of the catch and at its rear end with a transverse rear wall 6%) which merges with the rear ends of the side flanges 53.

The rear wall 60 has a lower edge 61 sp-aceiupwardly I from the generally straight edge portions '54 of the side ing through anapenture in the tongue restraining ejec- 1 ition of the'tongu'e by'said abutment, said catch pivotal flanges 53 to accommodate pivotal movement of the latch v at its rear end portion 62 toward the base as this portion is depressed by the user against the compression of the spring-63 which isinterposed between the base wall 6 and the bottom side 64 of the topwall 58'.

The spring'or resilient element 63 is mounted on. a *stud 65 on the wall 6 and held in place on wall 58 by a projection 66 formed on the inner side -64 of thetop wall 58 of the latch.-

It will be noted that the rear portions 66 66 0f the 'to a positionwithdrawin'g the same from the aperture in *the tongue whereupon said tongue is ejected from the buckle, and a p'airof ledges on the base defining a slot 7 therebetween admitting said catch theret hr'ough, and said 'catchand base being relatively movable longitudinally and said catch engaging one ofsaid ledges under the top edges of the flanges 7 are angled from adjacent to the pintle to the rear edge 680i the bottom or base wall 6 to accommodate adequate inward movement of the rear portions 6210f the latch while the forward portion '57 of the latch is caused to' move outwardly withdrawing the catch 34 from the tongueslot 35 and clear:- ingthe way and the inn'enendportionj 26 of the tongue so that it is forcibly ejectedfromthe buckle way 25 to release position. It will be noted that as the latch is depressed at its rear end 62 it moves bodily slightly influence. of the catch.

. 4. In a self-ejecting fbuckletongue-combination, a buckle having a longitudinal way, a tongue extending into said-way 'from one end thereof, a spring-loaded abutment inisaid way opposing inward movement of the tongue into said Way, and a catch pivoted on'the base 2 and extending through an aperture in the tongue restrainabutment urging the tongue against said 1 ingejection of the tongue by said abutment, said catch rearwardly as permitted by the slots-'48'whic h are "elongated transversely of the catch '34. Thus the crest 44 of the curved forward side 43 of the catch 34 passes through slot 35 which is dimensioned of sufficientwidth to accommodate the curved catch/portion 34. j Upon the tongue being withdrawn-from the buckle the pivotalfito a position iwithdrawing" the same from the aperture'in the tongue whereuponsaid tonguefis ejected 7 from the-buckle,'-and apair of ledges. on the base defining' a slot therebetween admitting said catch thercthrough, and said catch and base being relatively movable longitudinally and said catch engaging one-of said ledges under the influence of the abutment urging the tongue against said catch andsaid catch having means .thereonengageable under saidbne 'ledge forreleasably holding the catch againstaccidental displacement for lockingposition.

forward side 28, of the block 16 engages the back edge 72 of the rear ledge 32 to'limit outward travel of the block. a v The tongue has a" slot'at 74 'towhich one end of, Q

a belt 75 is connected. The otherehd'of the'belt or another beltlength '75a' is connected to the buckle 1 through slot 76-to the. base wall .6.

It will be understood that a preferred embodiment of V the invention has been disclosed and that various other forms of the invention will become readily apparent within the scope of the appended claims which they are intendedto cover. I

What is claimed is:

I bar, spring means interposed'betweenlsaid bar and said 1. In a belt buckle, a base" member, a latch member 2 having a lost-motion pivotal connection with the basemember comprising slot means on one of said members elongated lengthwise of the buckle and pin means on theother member extending throngh'the slot means" and accommodating relative movement between the members lengthwise of the buckle, a catch on the latch member,

movable toward the base'member to locking position and away from the base member .toopen position, a

tongue extending into the base member from one: end 1 thereof andhaving an openinggreceiving the catch member therein, biasing means in the base member engage,

able, with-the tongue urging the same in an outward, 'dimotion from the basemember. against said catch'member' and vmoving'said catch member with the tonguelengtha wise of the buckle within' the limit-of the lost-motion; and.

abutment urging-the latter toward the forward end of the. buckle, .a latch having a wall generally parallel to thebottom'wall and a pair of lateral flanges'overlapping respective flangesof the base, a pin extending through V allot the flanges and disposed generally parallel to said walls, certain of said flanges having slots elongated generallyiparallel to said walls, a catch on one end of the latch connected to the wall and flanges thereof and pro- :jecting through theslot between said-ledges, said catch havinga convex outer surface with its 'crest of curvature between said outer ledge and said bottom wall of the buckle in loc'ked position of the catchand said outer surface en-gageable with opposing edge of the outer means on the base. member for releasably holding-said catch memberin locking position disposed outwardly of action of the biasing means as'aforesaid.

2. A buckle according to claim 1 and said catch. member having "a side facing said biasing means, and said tongue having a portion between said biasing means and f saidsideof the catch member and having wedging engagement therewith urging the catch member to locking position. 7 1 I 1 a 3. In a self-ejecting buckle-tongue combination, a buckle having a longitudinal way, .a tongue extending into said way from one end thereof, a spring-loaded abutment in said 'way opposing inward movement of the tongue into said way, and a catch pivoted on the base and extendthe catch member and engageable thereby pursuantto the i 3 6. In a buckle according to and said catch havinga back surface transverse to said bottom wall and opposing 'said abutment, and a tongue having a portion between the abutment, the back surface and inwedge engagement therewith vand'ur'ged against saidinner ledge.

; "References Cited bythe'Egiaminer V UNITED STATES'PATENTS 132,247 10/72" Gui1d 24-242 408,308, 8/89 Keller 24 230.1 646,533 4 /00; Beatty 292 114 731,707. 6/03 Putnam ,24- 23o.1 --1,397, 237 11/21 .Schenk; 24 230.1 "2,933,795 4/7601 Meeker "24- 2301 3,020,089 2/.62 Monroe 24430.1

I DQNLEY I. STOCKING, Primary Examiner.

BERNARD. GELAK, Examiner. 

1. IN A BELT BUCKLE, A BASE MEMBER, A LATCH MEMBER HAVING A LOST-MOTION PIVOTAL CONNECTION WITH THE BASE MEMBER COMPRISING SLOT MEANS ON ONE OF SAID MEMBERS ELONGATED LENGTHWISE OF THE BUCKMLE AND PIN MEANS ON THE OTHER MEMBER EXTENDING THROUGH THE SLOT MEANS AND ACCOMMODATING RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE MEMBERS LENGTHWISE OF THE BUCKLE, A CATCH ON THE LATCH MEMBER MOVABLE TOWARD THE BASE MEMBER TO LOCKING POSITION AND AWAY FROM THE BASE MEMBER TO OPEN POSITION, A TONGUE EXTENDING INTO THE BASE MEMBER FROM ONE END THEREOF AND HAVING AN OPENING RECEIVING THE CATCH MEMBER THEREIN, BIASING MEANS IN THE BASE MEMBER ENGAGEABLE WITH THE TONGUE URGING THE SAME IN AN OUTWARD DIRECTION FROM THE BASE MEMBER AGAINST SAID CATCH MEMEBR AND MOVING SAID CATCH MEMBER WITH THE TONGUE LENGTHWISE OF THE BUCKLE WITHIN THE LIMIT OF THE LOST-MOTION, AND MEANS ON THE BASE MEMBER FOR RELEASABLY HOLDING SAID CATCH MEMBER IN LOCKING POSITION DISPOSED OUTWARDLY OF THE CATCH MEMBER AND ENGAGEABLE THEREBY PURSUANT TO THE ACTION OF THE BIASING MEANS AS AFORESAID. 